1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a closed loop Rankine bottoming cycle for a generator system, and more particularly to a recuperated or simple cycle MICRO-TURBINE engine, MICRO-TURBINE/fuel cell hybrid engine or individual fuel cells of various types.
2. Discussion of the Background
Many businesses, manufacturing companies, homeowners, etc., use generators in addition to power delivered by the local electric power company (also referred to as a utility grid). During operation of the generators, excess oxide gases, for example, are exhausted into the atmosphere.
Further, the gases exhausted into the atmosphere must meet strict environmental regulations. This increases the complexity and cost of operating of non-utility generators connected with a utility grid.
The present invention solves the above-noted and other problems by providing a novel closed loop Rankine bottoming cycle including a heat exchanger coupled to an exhaust port of a first turbogenerator for heating a pressurized refrigerant into a gaseous phase, and a second turbogenerator (e.g., a turbo expander) coupled to the heat exchanger for expanding the gaseous phase so as to create power. Also included is a cooling mechanism coupled to an exhaust of the second turbogenerator for cooling the gaseous phase exhausted by the second turbogenerator into a liquid phase, and a pumping mechanism for pressurizing the liquid phase into the pressurized refrigerant heated by the heat exchanger.
The present invention also includes a method and computer program product for operating and synchronizing the generator included in the closed loop, so as to optimize the overall system efficiency.